Alex Eala is attracting attention for more than her results, with her profile growing both on court and away from it.

The 21-year-old is coming off the biggest breakthrough of her career at Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round and beat defending champion Iga Swiatek in straight sets on the way there. That run has only intensified the interest around her, especially in her native Philippines, where support for her remains intense.

During her Wimbledon campaign, thousands of fans filled stadiums for watch-along parties, underlining how widely followed she already is at home. That support is now spreading beyond the Philippines and into the wider Asian tennis scene.

Before her scheduled appearance at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington next week, Eala posted a message on Instagram marking the end of her Manila visit. She wrote, “That’s a wrap on Manila.

“Maraming salamat sa pagtanggap sa akin mga kababayan (Thank you for giving me a warm welcome, fellow Filipinos)! Each and every one of your stories has touched me on a profound level.

“I leave with a refreshed memory of what I carry when I’m out there playing tennis. And wow is it a privilege to be part of something bigger than myself. Never been prouder to represent home.”

Since arriving in the United States, Eala has also appeared in a glamour shoot with Metro Magazine. An extract from the accompanying piece described how she handles fans even when she is tired or not feeling particularly sociable, noting that she is fully aware of the effort supporters make to follow her.

The story also drew praise for her fashion choices. On the Instagram post, Coco Gauff commented, “Gorgeous”, while Eva Lys wrote, “Just died”. The post was also liked by Chris Eubanks and Victoria Mboko.

Eala, who is now ranked a career-high 28, will hope to carry that momentum into Washington. For her, every serve and rally will again be followed closely by a fan base that continues to grow.

The Washington Open launches the 2026 North American hard-court swing, but the women’s event has already been shaped by several notable withdrawals.

The WTA 500 tournament in Washington will be played at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, beginning on Monday 27 July and finishing on Sunday 2 August. The women’s main draw at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, the event’s sponsorship name, includes 28 players.

Leylah Fernandez returns as the defending women’s singles champion in the U.S. Capital after beating Anna Kalinskaya in the 2025 final.

The original women’s entry list included eight players ranked inside the WTA top 20, but three of them have now withdrawn. Marta Kostyuk, Jasmine Paolini and Iva Jovic, who would have been seeded third, fifth and sixth, are all out of the tournament.

Paolini has explained her decision as a response to a foot injury, and she will also miss the WTA 1000 event in Toronto. On Instagram, Paolini wrote: “Unfortunately, I’ve decided to withdraw from Washington and Toronto so I can give my foot some extra time to rest.

“I’m sorry I won’t be there, and I wish everyone involved two amazing tournaments. Thank you, as always, for all your love and support.”

Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon earlier this month.

Katerina Siniakova and Jaqueline Cristian are the other players to withdraw from the field.

Even with the absences, five top 20 players remain in the Washington line-up. The projected top eight seeds are Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, Diana Shnaider, Anna Kalinskaya, Madison Keys, Leylah Fernandez and Emma Navarro.

Paula Badosa faced sharp criticism after an incident with her racket during the 2026 Iasi Open, where she avoided disqualification in her semi-final. The former world No. 2 had to battle through a tense three-set win over Tamara Zidansek, prevailing 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1) to reach the final against Mayar Sherif.

Badosa’s run in Romania continued her strong record in WTA finals. She arrived at the championship match having never lost one, with previous titles in Belgrade in 2021, Indian Wells in 2021, Sydney in 2022 and Washington in 2024. But that perfect record came to an abrupt end against Sherif in the WTA 250 event. Badosa lost the opening set 6-4 and then retired while trailing 4-0 in the second.

Her place in the final also lifted her 22 spots to 90th in the rankings, although the semi-final controversy drew as much attention as the result itself. Early in the third set against Zidansek, she threw her racket off the court after a missed ball. The racket landed just short of spectators in the stands, and she received only a code violation warning from the chair umpire. Had it struck a fan, she would have been defaulted.

Rennae Stubbs, speaking on her podcast, was direct in her assessment of the incident. She said, “Automatic default. That was an absolute disgrace. You know as a player, when you let go of a racket out of your hand, whatever happens after that is on you. No matter if it’s ‘unlucky’.

“You had control of the racket in your hand, and you let it go. If it goes into the stands you should absolutely be defaulted immediately and that is the only way to stop it.”

Badosa later acknowledged the disappointment after the final, saying, “I’m always a player that’s very honest and real. I have to say I hate this moment right now, I hate losing a final and I’m really sorry that I had to do it in this way but I couldn’t keep up with my body so I apologise for that also.

“But I also want to say, one month ago I was in one of the worst losing streaks of my career and one month after I made one of the best winning streaks of my career…lately we have had a little more positivity.”

She is next scheduled to return at the WTA Hamburg Open this week.